Bonfire Heart
by ArcadianMind
Summary: "The loneliest people are the kindest, The saddest people smile the brightest. The most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish anyone to suffer the way they do" -Chloe had spent her life protect herself from the world but will a certain brunette force her to realize the lie she's been living... and will it be worth it? Inspired by James Blunt's "Bonfire Heart".
1. Chapter 1

**A.N:** Welcome! Okay so this story is a test run; I have two other stories I've tried to write and complete before posting but I keep getting stuck. So I'm testing to see if I write better with help and ideas from you, the reader. So let me know what you think and if this works, you like my writing and are super helpful I will post the other two stories. Love Arcadia!

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><p>She couldn't really tell you when it happened or how. Chemical imbalance of the brain or maybe the bullying and taunting at school affected her more than she realize. All she knew was that she was very, very different to the other girls around her. The girls liked the boys and she liked the girls.<p>

While they swooned over the latest hunk, she was admiring the beauty and strength of the girls. While the girls where dreaming of becoming Mrs Pitt she just couldn't understand the attraction.

And yes… this made her a very easy target for the others. They sensed an oddity about her and they went to town with it so she was very quick to learn how to hide everything that made her unique and special. She learned to act just like everyone else.

Yes, Chloe learned to smile and hide all her pain. She learned to feign the love for those hunks the other girls pined for and she even learnt to sleep with them and to act as though she enjoyed it despite being broken and empty inside. She was truly miserable but by the time she had reached her senior year she had turned the act into an exact art. That was… until she met her.

**OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO**

Aubrey and Chloe had come to the quad early to set up for the activities fair. The morning had icy touch to it and Chloe was reluctant to remove her coat. As she neatly stacked the leaflets Aubrey yammered on.

"Chloe, I'm for serious! I don't know how we are going to find anyone one who has the calibre we require for the Bella's!"

Chloe couldn't help but return her a reassuring smile; She knew how easy the blonde could turn into a ball of stress and given the guilt she felt of bringing such shame to the Barden Bella's she knew Aubrey was very close to the tipping point.

"Bree calm down. It'll be fine, I'm sure the history of the Bella's is strong enough to withstand a pukeage" Chloe teased a little with a hint of a smirk. Chloe knew Bree would not see the funny side of it but it would distract her into becoming annoyed rather than stressed. Sure enough eye daggers were sent the redhead's way.

"Let's just finish setting up…" She huffed.

"The new freshmen will be arriving in half an hour".

It had been several hours and so far they had only managed to secure one girl for the auditions. Aubrey was again near breaking point and the stress was even starting to get to Chloe. Just then a small, pale looking brunette caught Chloe's eye.

"Oh, what about her?" she spat out without really thinking. She knew the second Aubrey laid eyes on her that the answer would be no. But there was just something about the girl that had captured the redhead's interest.

"Oh… euh… I don't know. I think she looks a little too "alternative" for us" Aubrey started, crinkling her nose at the though.

But Chloe just rolled her eyes, stepped forward and said,

"Hi, any interest in joining our Acapella group?" she asked with a small smile, handing the girl one of the leaflets.

The girl took the paper tentatively, glancing at it for a moment before looking back to the redhead.

"Oh right… this is like a thing now." She replied slightly amused at the idea.

Chloe, not picking up on the brunette's amusement, continued on her with her spiel.

"Oh totes! We sing covers of songs but we do it without any instruments. It's all from our mouths!" Chloe beamed and then felt Aubrey stiffen beside her. She had not meant that to come out so dirty. She hoped the brunette hadn't noticed but she didn't get so lucky.

Quickly trying to cover her tracks she gushed about the three other Acapella groups. When the brunette turned them down, it hurt Chloe a little more than it should have and she found herself defending the strange girl from Aubrey for some reason she couldn't explain.

As they were packing up after a rather disappointing day, Aubrey was quick to remind her of this.

"What was with you and the alt-girl today?"

"Huh?" Chloe was quick to bite back… a little too quick.

"You know who I'm talking about" the blonde eyed Chloe off suspiciously.

"What… nothing. She just looked like she'd scrub up okay" the redhead shrugged nonchalantly, scooping up a pile of left over flyers.

"Hmmm" Aubrey hummed unconvinced.

"Lucky she can't sing…"

**OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N:** I'm not super happy with the writing style in this chapter... I think I lost it a little from the first chapter but as always let me know what you think :) Happy Reading! Love ArcadianMind xo

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><p><strong>OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO<strong>

Several weeks had past and Chloe still couldn't get the nameless brunette out of her mind.

"…so what do you think babe? Babe? Chloe?"

"Oh, huh?" Chloe started with a jump, returning her attention to a rather confused looking Tom.

"Oh like I was just saying we could go to that party Hayman's holding down at his apartment tonight like only if ya want" Tom offered complete with a lopsided grin.

"Oh…" Chloe smiled sweetly, gently placing a hand on his.

"I'd love to but I have an exam tomorrow I really need to study for"

Tom gave a disappointed sigh.

"But I could come out Saturday night?"

Almost immediately Tom's eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas.

"I think Simon said he was holding a bash at his joint. We could totally swing by there!" he grinned.

"Sounds wonderful" Chloe gushed with a touch of sarcasm, completely lost on the over excited man-child.

**OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO**

"Argh!" the redhead huffed as she slammed the door to her shared apartment. From somewhere a voice mused,

"I don't understand why you persist in seeing Tom when he clearly causes you more frustration than… satisfaction".

Chloe groaned.

"I didn't realize you'd be here…" the red began, making her wake to Aubrey's room and flopping on to the bed beside the studying blonde.

"…I thought you were going to the library"

"I did go to the library. Then Travis McCarty from my Legal Studies class shows up, and drabbles on while I'm trying to get these citations sorted. It wouldn't have been half bad if he was actually there to help study as opposed to getting into my pants which…" She sighed dramatically, sliding off her reading glasses,

"Is never going to happen"

Chloe chuckled as Aubrey took a moment to study her friend. As the redhead calmed down, she nestled her head into the pillows and Bree couldn't help but gentle run her fingers through the ginger tresses.

"What is up with you anyway… you've been very, absent, the past few weeks. Something up with Tom?" the blonde questioned calmly.

"Oh nothing…"

Chlo… for serious" Aubrey pushed, one eyebrow raised.

"Fine… he is as dull as a door knob! The sex… the sex is good…"

"The sex is always good with you Chloe…" Bree teased, earning herself a playful slap.

"As I was saying… it's good but that's about it. There's no romance. It's just parties and sex" she huffed, proceeding to roll over and bury her face into the pillows.

"And you expected more from the collage-jock?"

"I don't know…" Chloe groaned.

"I just hoped it would have been a little more… substantial"

Aubrey just shook her head.

"You're never going to find that at frat parties Chlo… I don't know why you're worrying about this now when we have the Bella's to worry about!" The blonde now huffed, her thoughts drifting to the impending auditions but days away; Aubrey had never really got the hang of "girl-talk".

"Oh yes! The auditions," Chloe all but squealed, forcing Aubrey to cover her ears and glare.

"Have you got the list? Did you really have to sleep with Pete to get it? Is the brunette alt-girl on it?" Chloe gushed, a little too enthusiastically. Aubrey narrowed her eyes a little, studying the red's face who seemed none the wiser to her Freudian slip.

"Yes we have the list …" she began slowly.

Chloe's eyes lit up.

"And no, I did not sleep with Pete and no the brunette didn't sign up; which is no surprise since she can't sing. Why are you bringing her up again?" Aubrey questioned, a hint of annoyance riding on each word.

"No reason…" Chloe began innocently, either not registering the annoyance or choosing not to hear it.

"Just had a good feeling about her that's all" she finished a little glumly.

"Well I sensed nothing but trouble from her so I'm glad she's not coming" Aubrey replied matter-of-factly before continuing, ignoring Chloe's rather unimpressed reaction.

"I'm going to take a break from studying. Let's take a look at this list"

**OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO**

It was the morning before the auditions and Aubrey had been up since 3 A.M, pacing the floor, checking and double checking the list and names from the draft that may be suitable for the Bella's. Even being a naturally bubbly person, Aubrey's incisive stressing was beginning to rub off on Chloe, who could feel the cold dark claws of anxiety squeeze tightly her gut and her heart. Stuffing the last bit of cereal into her mouth, she shot off a text;

"You. Me. "Shower". In 15. We have 1 hour."

Not two seconds later her phone pinged in reply. Quickly rinsing her bowl and placing it in the dishwasher, she scooped up the phone and glanced at the screen smiling as she read the reply,

"See you soon babe ;)"

Chloe quickly gathered her towel, make up and her clothes for the day and made her way to the door. Not seeing Aubrey guarding the exit, Chloe proceeding to walk straight into the fuming blonde.

"Omfph! Oh, sorry Bree…"

"And where the hell do you think you're going? Auditions start in two hours!" the blonde barked, interrupting the redhead.

"I'm just taking a walk. Chillax, I promise I'll be there an hour early to help settle you in" she smiled reassuringly.

"Chloe Gracelyn Beale… if you are so much as a second late I will… I'll… I" Bree stuttered, dry retching between words. Chloe quickly dumped her things on the ground, grabbed Aubrey by the wrists and gentle rubbed circles with her thumbs.

"Relax… breathe Bree, breathe! Aubrey!" she almost begged, not wanting to lose the blonde already.

"It'll be fine… I swear on my mother's life I will be there an hour early. Okay…"

"Okay…" Aubrey breathed.

"Good!" She gave the blonde a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Love ya Bree, see you soon!"

Aubrey semi-collapsed against the door frame and sighed, shaking her head with worry, before muttering,

"We better find some girls today…"

**OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO**


End file.
